Federal officials announced the arrest of an Arizona man, Jacob Aaron Hicks, aged 46, from Tucson. He faces charges of making an interstate threat to injure. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona stated the arrest occurred on Wednesday.
Hicks is accused of sending a threatening email on September 23 to a Tucson television station. In the email, he allegedly claimed there was an imminent bomb threat against the White House and various locations in Washington, D.C. This prompted the television station to alert law enforcement, leading to an investigation.
The U.S. Attorney, Timothy Courchaine, emphasized the seriousness of threats like this. He commended the television station for reporting the threat and praised the FBI for their swift response.
“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” Courchaine stated.
Further investigation revealed additional email drafts in Hicks’ account. These drafts, dated the same day, were reportedly targeted at other news organizations and contained similar threats regarding Washington, D.C.
The FBI, with the support of the U.S. Secret Service, is spearheading the investigation. Rebecca Day, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix office, acknowledged the crucial role played by the media partner in alerting law enforcement. The cooperation underscored the importance of partnerships in ensuring public safety.
“We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people,” Day noted.
Hicks made his first appearance in federal court on Thursday, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.